26 Iyar, 5776 This Week at Rochelle Zell
June 3, 2016
Dedication Day Community Naming Ceremony
Dedication Day Senior Siyum Graduation Class Gift Zecher Tzaddik L'vracha Open Mic Night End of School BBQ Final Exams Community Events Alumni Trivia A Taste of Torah
Class Schedule ​Monday, June 6 Science Exam History Exam
Over 200 guests gathered on Sunday to formally dedicate our school as Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. Senior Julia Mati and junior Jonah Karoll delivered their unique perspectives on life at our school; we heard from Lynn Schrayer, board president and Michael Small, past president,
Tuesday, June 7 Hebrew Exam Wednesday, June 8 Staff Development
Quick Links RZJHS.org Calendars Lunch Menu
as well as our Head of School Tony Frank, Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver and JUF President and Rochelle Zell parent Steve Nasatir about what makes our school so special. The highlight of the program was definitely former students Aaron Zell (CJHS ’13), Rina Zell, and their father Mr. Matt Zell (who completed his student teaching at CJHS) remembering their great-grandmother Rochelle Zell as a person and as a Jew; each had a different perspective, but each agreed that she would have loved our school and seen her values reflected in it. Aaron Zell, who now sings with the UPenn Shabatones, then joined his old Rochelle Zell Vocal Ensemble an amazing pop rendition of Best Day of My Life. A very big todah robah to all the faculty and
staff that made this event happen!
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Alumni Trivia It seems like only yesterday that Rina Zell was a student at our school... How can she be graduating from college this soon?
Save The Date May 31 - June 7 Final Exams June 8 Staff Development
Senior Siyum
June 19 ACT August 17-18 Staff Development August 22 New Student Orientation August 23 First Day of School
"The origin of beauty in the world is deviation from normalcy. Raw individuality and inner weirdness are our inspirations--they make us who we are and the world what it is." Thus Aviva Hirsch and Celia Pivo, editors of The Prints, concluding another award-winning
volume of art, poetry, and prose, and striking the chord that typifies the Class of 2016 and its diversity, vividness, and color. Rav Beit Sefer Zach Silver, building on their inspiration, taught the seniors their final Talmud lesson from Sanhedrin 37a, "Why did God create one human being alone, rather than two or more?" In addition to highlighting our tradition's faith in the limitless capacity of every single human being, and their common origins, Rabbi Silver quoted the Talmud in praise of the Maker's originality, making each human being as unique and colorful as possible, despite their common origin.
After tefillah and a sumptuous breakfast, faculty members addressed the graduating seniors. Ms. Nancy Steinberg and Ms. Marion Gladstein praised the team spirit, leadership, and cando attitude that makes Hannah Taussig and Benji Salzman such forces to be reckoned with. Rabbi Zach Silver contrasted the soulful Jewish identity and wholehearted embrace of the diverse perspectives in Israeli life with the wild and friendly MEEEEECH! that is the calling card of Maya Resnick. Ms. Ellen Singer and Ms. Rebecca Nadis profiled their talented performers in the big spring play: Hana Lieber, who knows that leadership comes with preparation and practice, not just with amazing talent, and Maya Michalewicz, whose infectious smiles, glittering originality, and independent creativity taught the world that there is no such thing as a small part. Rabbi Marc Belgrad described the openhearted listening skills and unpretentious thoughtfulness that typify the better class of Biblical prophet--and also our very own Josh Lederman. And of course, Mrs. Shira Eliaser had an over-the-top morning announcement and a lot of physics jokes lined up on behalf of Arthur Sredni, whose search for certainty in this life will bring him truth and humor but not, as quantum mechanics states, certainty about much of anything! One of the most beautiful aspects of the 2016 Siyum was its sheer timelessness. Rabbi Silver began the morning with the touching observation that this week's graduating class is much
larger than the freshmen class he welcomed on his first day at the school four years ago, but almost no one remembers, in the seamless group they now form, just who arrived when. Equally beautiful was the distribution of staff members vying to speak on behalf of their students, as new teachers' timely insights into their students' characters joined the observations of longtime veterans who have watched them grow with pride and joy.
Commencement Exercises Graduation Night
The Class of 2016 marched into the gymnasium for graduation to the jazz band's familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance," led by their class marshals, Hannah Taussig and Dylan Janaczak. Arthur Sredni blew the shofar to open the proceedings on a strong note; Bessie Cohen delivered the invocation, warmheartedly remembering her first Bible class in a Jewish day school, where a classmate's, "Hey, why am I here if I don't believe in God?" opened a thoughtful, respectful, open-ended, and inspiring discussion of, "Well then, what do you believe in?" that taught the students how to think, but not what to believe. Melissa Levin and Celia Pivo, in English and Hebrew respectively, reflected on the tremendous diversity of personal interests and beliefs that did not prevent everyone from coming together as a class to be reckoned with, the effect they have all had on each other's perspectives, and the journeys they will now begin in their separate directions. Board President Lynn Schrayer assured us that this class is ready to take on the world. Head of School Tony Frank described the unobtrusively powerful leadership style characterized by the Class of 2016, whose numerous academic awards, Model U.N. trophies, athletic championships, and club victories, musical revivals and wholesale transformation of our school's choir are characterized by leadership from behind, leadership by example, actions
on the ground rather than speeches from podiums--or loud singing of Halleluyahs in tefillah. But the Wild Things shouted, "Please don't go! We'll eat you up, we love you so!" Jack Rubinstein invited his classmates to go "Where the Wild Things Are," out into the world in their wolf suits, where they will navigate their own paths without being eaten by the Wild Things who are their friends and companions. Jack pointed out, furthermore, that the most valuable treasure of all is not individuality, freedom, or good times--not even being King of All the Wild Things!--but, as Max learns in the book, the love and support of the people whom you care about most. Blessings on our Class of '16 from all the fountains of divine grace: thank You for keeping them together to reach this day, and may You guide their diverse paths hereafter!
Class Gift Remembering Mr. Harvey Gross Z"L Rochelle Zell Hall of Fame athlete Jordan Krauss presented a gift from the Class of '16 to the school: monogrammed athletic chairs to sit behind the Harvey Gross Memorial Scoreboard. This year marks the fifth Yahrzeit of Mr. Harvey Gross, Zvi Mordechai ben Yoel, our beloved history teacher who died "in harness" during Staff Week of 2011 on Sivan 8. Mr. Gross was a phenomenal teacher, mentor, and human being; with warmth, humor, and a genuine love for his students, he could hold a class spellbound from bell to bell, simply by sitting in his chair and recounting history. Mr. Gross was more than a teacher of history: he was history itself, a
participant rather than a scholar and recorder. In the Mississippi Summer of 1964, he was arrested 11 times for civil rights activism; in our U.S. History textbook, you will see him in the photograph behind Dr. Martin Luther King at the "I Have A Dream" speech. (Far behind him, in fact-- he's the white T-shirt up in the tree at the edge of the reflecting pool, getting a better view of the keynote speaker.) His students still visit "Mr. Gross' tree" when their travels take them to our nation's capital.
In addition to being a well-beloved teacher and social studies guru, Mr. Gross was also a consummate sports fan. In all seasons, he was the Tigers' number one fan; in his seven years at our school, despite his declining health, he never missed a basketball game. Our student athletes were the children he never had: Michael Brunwasser (CJHS '08), Victor Abecassis (CJHS '09), Daniel Eisenberg (CJHS '10), and Zach Spellman (CJHS '11), Danny Hochberg (CJHS '12) and his entire family, were not only his star players and his students, but his personal trainers, his caregivers, and his loving disciples, who cared for him in his old age, kept a sharp eye on his health, and made sure there was always a Tigers jersey with his name on it. God of mercy who dwells on high, who crowns Israel with glory and strengthens our footfalls, grant perfect peace in your sheltering presence to the soul of our dear friend and teacher, Zvi Mordechai ben Yoel, who is cheering on our Tigers in his eternal home. May his soul be bound up in life, may the lessons he taught and the values he lived for outlast him seven times over, and may his memory give a special sweetness to every victory our Tigers score!
Fond Farewells Staff and Students And with this, we bid farewell to the 41 members of the Class of 2016, the class who brought us two conference championships in soccer, two Model U.N. trophies, A.P. Statistics and A.P. Electricity and Magnetism, the Middot program throughout the school, and more than half of our stellar vocal ensemble. We also bid a fond farewell to A.P. Chem veteran and pioneer teacher Mrs. Ann Levinson, who founded our school's science and math departments in 2001, and--after many years of allowing us to coax her into, "Just one more A.P. class!"--is carrying through on her threat to retire and spend more time with her precocious grandchildren. Also retiring to his verdant garden and adorable little nippers is veteran biology teacher Mr. Bob Taylor, whose green thumb and giant mug of coffee will be sorely missed. We also bid farewell to Mr. Joseph Eskin, our social studies and student activities coordinator, as he departs to pursue his studies at Mechon Hadar yeshiva in New York, and APUSH mentor Mr. Dan Kassner, who is moving back to his native Boston. Tzeitchem L'Shalom, and come back and visit!
Open Mic Night
Hosted by The Prints With yearbook distribution and the annual end of school barbecue comes the annual talent show and Open Mic Night, hosted by the staff of The Prints, our literary magazine. Mr. Bernstein and Mrs. Eliaser headed the lineup this year with the Ballad of Tam Lin and with an original acoustic ballad by Mr. Bernstein; we heard duets, keyboard, and strings from Sarah Tenner and Felix Rosen, from Henry Wolle and Henry Hoffman, and a Shakespearian soliloquy (plus prom proposal!) from Ranan Vales. rap getting down from Sara Behn and Sarah Comar, then from Jonno Rosenblum. Arthur Sredni provided some comedy, along with the rip-roaringly funny triple act courtesy of Yoni Maltsman, Akiva Stein, and Henry Hoffman. New in this year's lineup were Emma
Canter, who knocked our taco-printed socks off with an extraordinary poem about love and loss, and Aitan Maeir's reverberating a capella. Yasher koach to everyone who performed!
End of Year BBQ Enjoying Good Food and Good Weather On the last day of classes, Rochelle Zell students enjoyed the outside and relaxed in the sun near the memorial garden and bleachers while others played Frisbee on the grass. Hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixings were served and everyone spent time with each other before saying goodbye to the school year. Summer is upon us! Good luck on your exams, and have a wonderful break!
Exam Schedule Shalom Bus Times For Finals June 6
Pick up at Braeside 8:36 a.m. Leave Rochelle Zell at 2:10 and 3:10 p.m.
June 7
Pick up at Braeside 8:36 a.m. Leave Rochelle Zell at 12:39 p.m.
Community News and Events The Festival is Here!
Alumni Trivia Rina Zell has just graduated from United World College, a fifth-year school that brings together students from Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East in an intense curriculum to study environmentalism and multicultural understanding. Rina's commencement exercises at the international school in New Mexico, she reports, were rather different than the ones she celebrated with her friends here! "Everyone graduated in their national costumes," Rina explained, "to give everyone a sense of where we were coming from and our colorful heritage. Of course, we Americans don't really have a national costume, so we just wore nice clothes, and a lot of red, white, and blue." Rina is looking forward to starting her baccalaureate at New York University in the fall. Mazal tov, Rina!
A Taste of Torah
The theme of this year’s graduation ceremony came from the first chapter of the Book of Ruth. Ruth pledges herself to Naomi with unprecedented intensity: Ki el asher telchi elech, u’va’asher talini alin. Amech Ami, ve’elohayich elohai. ו ֵאֹלהַ י ְִך אֱ ֹלהָ י,עַ מֵּ ְך עַ מִּ י-- וּבַאֲ שֶׁ ר תָּ לִינִי אָלִין,אֲ שֶׁ ר תֵּ ְלכִי אֵ לְֵך-כִּי אֶ ל. “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” The Rabbis often quote this pasuk as the paradigm for Jewish conversion. “This is what it takes,” essentially is what the Rabbis are saying. “This is what it means to be a Jew.” In one breath, Ruth the Moabite, Ruth the stranger, becomes the new Jewish ideal. Why? Wasn’t Naomi the Jew in the first place? Naomi is normative Judaism. She is the ultimate insider. And at a Jewish school, aren’t we all Naomi? I have been a Jewish day school student for 13 years. These past four years especially, I have had the privilege of studying Torah with my amazing teachers and peers. I even gained a new appreciation for tefillah. By now I should be the ultimate insider. But I don’t feel like Naomi, I still feel like Ruth. If Judaism is going to live on in the 21st century, my classmates, we must all be Ruth. We must all choose Judaism. We must all declare, “Amech Ami v’elohayich Elohai. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.” Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “The basic ideas in Judaism have more than one dimension; what they refer to is a mystery, and they become distorted when taken as matterof-fact descriptions… The certainty that there is meaning beyond the mystery is the reason for ultimate rejoicing.” Ruth was able to see what Heschel knew—that behind the great mystery was an even greater reward. As students of Ruth, we are all opting in to the mystery. Today marks the beginning of what is to come for the class of 2016. We will all notice so quickly that we are real weirdos. Who learns Bible and Talmud in school? While we may be positioned as Naomi, we will be others among our peers. And that’s a good thing. My
friends, in everything you do, take Ruth with you. Don’t lose that stranger’s soul. Approach everything wholeheartedly. And just like Ruth, you will be rewarded with a life of meaning and prosperity. --Jason Taitz ('16)
A very happy, healthy, active, and safe summer to all our readers everywhere! E-News will resume in the fall. Shabbat shalom!
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